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Title:
Mixing in massive stellar mergers
Authors:
Gaburov, E.; Lombardi, J. C.; Portegies Zwart, S.
Affiliation:
AA(Sterrenkundig Instituut `Anton Pannekoek', University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Section Computational Science, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands), AB(Department of Physics, Allegheny College, 520 North Main Street, Meadville, PA 16335, USA), AC(Sterrenkundig Instituut `Anton Pannekoek', University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Section Computational Science, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands)
Publication:
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters, Volume 383, Issue 1, pp. L5-L9. (MNRAS Homepage)
Publication Date:
01/2008
Origin:
MNRAS
MNRAS Keywords:
hydrodynamics, molecular processes, shock waves, methods: numerical, blue stragglers, stars: general
DOI:
10.1111/j.1745-3933.2007.00399.x
Bibliographic Code:
2008MNRAS.383L...5G

Abstract

The early evolution of dense star clusters is possibly dominated by close interactions between stars, and physical collisions between stars may occur quite frequently. Simulating a stellar collision event can be an intensive numerical task, as detailed calculations of this process require hydrodynamic simulations in three dimensions. We present a computationally inexpensive method in which we approximate the merger process, including shock heating, hydrodynamic mixing and mass loss, with a simple algorithm based on conservation laws and a basic qualitative understanding of the hydrodynamics of stellar mergers. The algorithm relies on Archimedes' principle to dictate the distribution of the fluid in the stable equilibrium situation. We calibrate and apply the method to mergers of massive stars, as these are expected to occur in young and dense star clusters. We find that without the effects of microscopic mixing, the temperature and chemical composition profiles in a collision product can become double-valued functions of enclosed mass. Such an unphysical situation is mended by simulating microscopic mixing as a post-collision effect. In this way we find that head-on collisions between stars of the same spectral type result in substantial mixing, while mergers between stars of different spectral type, such as type B and O stars (~10 and ~40Msolar respectively), are subject to relatively little hydrodynamic mixing. Our algorithm has been implemented in an easy-to-use software package, which we have made publicly available for download.1
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